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Friday, July 25, 2014

Mile-a-Minute Hand Cramps

This was my second Mile-A-Minute afghan. I crocheted it for
my niece Amanda as a wedding gift. It was made usingCaron Simply Soft in black and two shades of green that have
been discontinued already. I used an H (5 mm) hook.

After I learned how to make a granny square, I made a lot of them in different sizes using different hooks and different yarns. And because I am still ten years old inside and have a long standing desire to be cool like my older sister who knew how to make granny squares, I wanted to make an afghan. As I was perusing YouTube videos on making and attaching granny squares together, I came across a tutorial from Clare at bobwilson123 for making mile-a-minute strips. The strips used a granny stitch but instead of coming out in a square motif, the pattern produced long panels. Once I figured out how to make the strips, I decided to use it as the pattern for my afghan. Without much planning, I bought several balls of Red Heart Super Saver yarn and started making strip after strip. I must have watched the tutorial a hundred times. As I double-crocheted, I noticed my stamina and hand strength were improving. I was able to grip the yarn to control the tension with less effort. Every time I got hand cramps, I smiled remembering the kids at school when they were writing like the wind during writing workshop. I often told the children that it wasn't unusual for writers to get hand cramps. In fact, getting hand cramps meant that they must be writing well. Some of the children would rub their hands, pause for drama, and push themselves to keep going. True story.